[Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in the cirrhotic patient]

Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in cirrhotic patients is a severe complication which frequently decompensate the underlying disease and which is associated, even in our days, to a 50% mortality. Hence, the relevance of an adequate exploration, as weil as an early treatment. The acknowledge of several variants, as are the concepts of bacterascites and neutrocytic ascites with negative culture required the use of updated diagnostic criteria. In addition to the already known clinical and bacteriological characteristics of the ascitic fluid infection, we have also intended to review new aspects of this entity referred to in the literature published in the past years, as are the followings; study of possible predictive factors of this complication and factors which have an influence on its mortality, in order to be able to implement the most adequate preventive its mortality, in order to be able to implement the most adequate preventive its mortality, in order to be able to implement the most adequate preventive and curative therapeutics.